A Song for The End of Days
by Spiral Breeze
Summary: You love to hate me like black and white and day and night like fire on a leaf. I hate to love you like good and bad and sun and rain like darkness in the sun's rays. Shut up and listen my dear, do not shed a tear, for this is a song for the end of days.
1. Prologue

_You love to hate me like black and white and day and night, like fire on a leaf. I hate to love you like good and bad and sun and rain, like darkness in the sun's rays. Shut up and listen my dear, do not shed a tear, for this is a song for the end of days._

**A Song for The End of Days**

By Spiral Breeze

**Prologue**

"Stop following me."

"I just wanna talk!"

"I'm not looking for some little girlfriend alright?"

"I-" Bass had the decency to stop in her tracks, a blush creeping up her face. She shook her head, her long brown hair waving in the wind. With sudden resolve, she continued to follow the boy in front of her, jogging to catch up. "I heard you talking to your Pokémon." She said, finally shoulder to shoulder with him.

"Don't worry 'bout it, it doesn't concern you."

"The end of the world doesn't concern me?" Bass said skeptically, an eyebrow raised.

The boy said nothing and jogged ahead, his Linoone following at his heels. Bass sighed and jogged right along with him, keeping up the easy pace. She had heard him clearly at the bus stop, and she knew, she had to follow him, no matter what. He spoke of things that scared her sending the hairs on the back of her neck on end, things that excited her above all measure, and things that suddenly brought moisture to her eyes. Whoever this boy was, wherever he was going, she would find out, and follow.

"I'm Bass." She said, perhaps she could entice him into telling her his name at the very least.

"So?" He stopped, as did the Linoone, very obedient, Bass noted.

"What's your name?" She looked directly into his eyes. _The windows to the soul._

"That doesn't concern you either, people don't need names when they're dead."

She scanned his face, her eyes dropping to his neck and shirt, she noticed a length of black cord, two crystals lying next to each other around his neck, one black as night, the other clear as day. Something inside her wanted to touch them, she lifted her hand tentatively, and touched the cool stones.

A hand met her cheek, the slap stinging her face, bringing tears to her eyes.

"_Don't touch me!_" The boy growled and took a step back, his breathing ragged.

"They feel cold, even though they're right next to your heart." Bass stated, her bewilderment outweighing the pain in her cheek.

"I'll hit you again, _leave_." His voice was dangerous.

Bass didn't know what propelled her to reach out again, but she did, her hand clasping the two crystals, they were practically ice in her palm. She braced herself for another slap, but it never came.

"It's so cold." She whispered, her breath escaping in vapor from between her lips. She began to panic, it was the middle of summer.

"Leave." He said again, his exhale visible as well.

She could not let go, and suddenly it was snowing between them, the frozen water droplets falling serenely to their arms, melting on the exposed skin. Bass let go, afraid, searching this mysterious boys eyes. The Linoone at his feet let out a long low howl, a cry of mourning.

"What are those?" Her voice was barely above a whisper her breath could still be seen.

"The keys to ending it all."

A small smile, so innocent and at the same time lonely formed on his lips, and regardless of how very scared she was, Bass wanted to know him even more than before. She took a step closer to him, suddenly mere inches from his face.

"What's your name?"

"Gray."

"Why do you want to end it so badly?"

He didn't answer, instead he tucked the crystals into his shirt, a slight twitch in his eye as the cold stones hit the bare skin of his chest. He turned suddenly, beginning to walk again, and Bass was following right behind him.

"I'm coming with you."

The boy turned slowly, his eyes scanning her up and down. He smirked, an almost sinister expression that sent a shiver of almost yearning up her spine.

"Then welcome to my hell."

**To Be Continued...**


	2. Chapter One

**A Song for The End of Days**

By Spiral Breeze

**Chapter One**

The sun was beginning to set, and the wind was picking up sending a cool breeze in their hair, as the two humans and one Pokémon continued to walk through the quickly darkening forest. Bass' legs were tired, she was dragging her feet with each step, still desperate to keep pace with Gray. She glanced at his walking figure, several yards ahead of her, he didn't appear the least bit fatigued; rather, more determined. Gray and his Linoone seemed very at ease, as if simply taking an evening stroll through the woods by their home, returning for supper and a cup of tea. _How... quaint._

"Uh... Gray... how much-"

"These woods are filled with Beartric, we have a few more miles to go to reach the end of their territory... of course none of this will matter by tomorrow."

"_T-tomorrow_?" She suddenly stopped in her tracks, her whole body aching.

"Yes, tomorrow... what's the freakin' problem?"

"The... _end_?"

"Yes, _the_ end."

Gray shook his head in annoyance and continued walking, twigs snapping and dried leaves crunching under his boots. They had not spoken much at all since her decision to follow him. She played the scene in her head for the umpteenth time that day:

_Bass had just arrived at the bus, Xtransceiver in hand, flipping through the weather forecast for Unova. She noticed a boy about her own age, who she had never seen before, dressed in all black under the bus shelter, a Linoone in his arms. The young teen sat on an empty bench and glanced at the time again, ten minutes till the next bus._

_"We'll get there by tomorrow Quin... then, well, we'll do what needs to be done." He sighed and looked to the direction where the bus would be coming from, forcing Bass to do the same. Still no sign of it. "I copied the incantation into my notebook. We lay the stones onto the tablet, chant the words, and then... it will all end."_

_"Linoone." The Pokémon answered._

_"All of it, gone by tomorrow Quin. We'll be the only ones left, and then no one will ever bother us again, no humans, no Pokémon... no one." _

_The boy sighed, he seemed to be holding a tremendous weight on his shoulders, the weight of the entire World. For a moment Bass thought he was discussing killing himself, but then he said they would be the only ones left. She knew better than to eavesdrop on someone else's conversation, but somehow she couldn't help herself. The teen caught herself staring at him again, and for a split second his eyes met hers, but she quickly averted them to her Xtransceiver again._

_"I'm just so tired of all of it, of everyone, everything..." Bass could have sworn that he had glanced at her again. "After tomorrow, after it's all gone, you'll see Quin, everything will be better, I promise."_

Bass didn't know what exactly needed to be better, Gray had not mentioned his reasoning for wanting the end to come. Apparently the crystals he wore around his neck and now tucked into his shirt were going to aid him in that particular task. She still couldn't believe that it had snowed between them, the very memory sent shivers down her spine.

She hurried her steps as she watched his retreating figure marching boldly on through the twisting forest path. So far, there had yet to be a sign of a single Beartic, but she was a city gal, perhaps Gray could see things that she could not. Yes, she _knew_ that Gray could see the signs, whatever those might be. She shivered again, not from the cold this time, but from the very notion of the end. She mustn't dwell on it, no she must walk on, follow him, for Acreus only knew why.

It was hours later when Gray deemed that they had indeed reached a locale outside of the Beartic's territory. Bass's whole being seeming to ache, yet as she watched Gray unpack a single worn hand knit blanket from his pack, she suddenly realized that she had nothing, only the clothes on her back and the items in her bag. She mentally shook her head, what did she need anything for if the end was only tomorrow?

Yet, it was cold on this mountain, chilly in this dense forest possibly filled with ice types, and she was without proper shelter or clothing. Gray and Quin had already sat under a wide tree, and she watched him cover himself and his partner with the blanket. She wondered who had made it for him. Who had taken the time to put Mareep wool to needles and click away, creating warmth and love in a single piece of knitted fabric?

Bass settled under a tree opposite from Gray and his Linoone. She watched the striped Pokémon snuggle into her owner, as he closed his eyes, preparing for sleep. Sighing, she adjusted her body as much as she could to feel comfortable sitting on the cold hard ground, ancient oak behind her back. She too closed her eyes and let sleep take her.

**To Be Continued...**


	3. Chapter Two

**A Song for The End of Days**

By Spiral Breeze

**Chapter Two**

When Bass next woke, it was to the faint light of early morning filtering through the tree branches above, the smell of roasting fish and burning leaves wafting in her nose, and a pleasant warmth enveloping her body. Opening her eyes she realized that she was wrapped in the knitted blanket she had seen Gray with last night.

She quickly sat up, conscious of the amount of foliage in her matted locks, and looked to where the sound of a merrily cracking fire was burning. There were three smallish Basculin with red stripes skewered to long sticks cooking above the flames, and Gray was on his haunches tending to the blaze. Quin his Linoone sat obediently next to him, eyeing the fish like any hungry Pocket Monster would.

"Good mornin'." Bass said groggily.

"Oh, you're up." Gray said, as he turned one of the Basculin over, it's juices sizzling in the flames.

Bass watched as Quin licked her chops, then she stood and neatly folded the blanket in her arms. She walked over to where Gray's bag stood against a tree and placed it on top, not even daring to open the zipper.

"Thank you, for the blanket." She said with true gratitude, taking a place next to him, her stomach growling from the smell of food.

"Well, it was either that or deal with a dead frozen body in the morning... I'm sure the Beartic would have found you a nice meal with some Tiny Mushrooms."

Bass didn't know if he was being sarcastic or truthful. In either case, she was glad that she was currently not in the hands of hungry Beartic, or already digesting in one's stomach, she shuddered at the very thought.

While Gray was removing the Basculin from the fire, Bass tried to fix her hair as much as she could. She stopped midway however, when she remembered, the end. Today.

She inhaled deeply and let it out in a sigh.

"If you're eating, it's ready." Gray told her, as he cut large chunks of roasted Basculin flesh for Quin to eat.

"Thanks." She accepted the pipping hot fish which Gray had placed carefully on some newspaper, the date was yesterday, the two week Unova weather forecast mocking her.

They ate in silence, Bass, careful with every bite, Gray and Quin seemed to eat like savages. She picked carefully along the large bones until the whole fillet was exposed while they simply bit into the white flesh spitting out bones onto the forest floor. When finished, they burned the garbage, and Gray put on the flames with handfuls of dirt and some quick stomping.

With his backpack on his shoulders, and Quin by his heels, the pair began their walk, presumably out of the forest. Bass followed behind, glancing behind her every now and again, irrationally suspicious of the ancient woods.

They soon emerged onto the banks of a wide river. On their right was Marvelous Bridge. It looked beautiful to Bass, but she thought of how ironic it was that she had never even had a chance to cross it. She had only seen it on TV, and now it seemed they were to wade across.

She watched as Gray splashed into the water up to about his knees and then dove right in. A wet Quin rode the rest of the way on his back. Some unseen force seemed to pull Bass forward, she would never have even thought of doing anything so bold in all her life, until this very moment. She waded bravely in, the cool water lapping at her thighs as she took in a deep breath and dove. The sheer thrill of it all sent her swimming forward, and soon she was right next to Gray's side, swimming across the width of the river, Marvelous Bridge above them.

They reached the other side, both tired from their swim, and sprawled out on the soft sand letting the hot summer sun dry their clothes. Bass was thankful that they were out of the freezing forest and out into the open, the wonderful warm weather coupled with the cool water made her feel truly alive. It was a feeling she would cherish until that final moment when it all ended.

"What will it be like?" She asked quietly, her head titled toward his, Quin between them, her fur just beginning to dry.

"Beautiful..." Gray sighed. "The ancient texts describe it as the most beautiful thing in the universe, colors like you've never seen, all five senses will heighten, and then... nothing."

Bass thought about this, and couldn't even begin to fathom it, yet the way the words were spoken so intently by Gray made her want to see it for herself, regardless of the outcome.

"You said you copied down an incantation, can I read it?"

"Later, when we get there. There's no point in looking at it now. It wont matter."

"Who would write such a thing?"

"The Song for The End of Days was written by disciple of Arceus long ago... he found the stones, he studied for years to develop the incantation... but much of the book was destroyed..."

"Why would he write a song about the end of the world?"

"That's the part that is missing, the part I need to know and find out and see for myself."

"Oh."

She should have been scared, she should have run along time ago, she should never have eavesdropped at that bus stop yesterday. Instead Bass stood, her damp clothes sticking to her skin, and she took his hand in hers.

"Let's go." She said, staring into his eyes, when Gray too, stood on his own two feet.

Her hand found the length of cord around his neck that held the two crystals. She pulled them out from his shirt, and held them in her hand, welcoming the snow flurries that danced between them. Gray did nothing, he stood and seemed to want to say something, but Quin said it all, when she let out the same howl of mourning she did yesterday. The sound seemed to echo all around them, a promise of things to come.

**To Be Continued...**


	4. Chapter Three

**A Song for The End of Days**

By Spiral Breeze

**Chapter Three**

After passing through Black City (a feat which Bass was actually thankful she would never have to do again) they reached an area of open fields. It was very hard to believe that so much lush vegetation existed directly on the outskirts of the dark and crime infested city. The place seemed practically sacred, and that's when it suddenly hit her. This, this beautiful earthly oasis was it. _The_ place, where they had to be, where Gray would be the one to herald the end.

She stole a glance at him, and his look of intent made her breath quicken with each step she took. She knew this was the place just by looking at him. His own foot falls seemed to shake the fertile earth beneath his boots. Bass knew where he was walking to, the shrine could be seen several yards in the distance. This was an ancient place, she knew that, it radiated energy, but whether that energy was good or bad, Bass did not know. Quin was the first to reach it's base, and she let out a series of barks and growls that was unlike anything Bass had ever heard from a Linoone before, she wondered if those sounds answered her question, Quin did not seem to like being here.

The shrine was a large structure of standing rough hewn stones, three of white marble and three of black marble, and in between these stood the statue of a monk, holding a large thick tomb in his hands, face pointed toward the heavens, mouth open in some silent prayer, no, he was singing, Bass knew this, he was singing the song for the end of days. She couldn't help but stare at the marble effigy, and soon she was running her fingers along the pedestal of the statue, she could almost feel the electricity spiraling up her finger tips.

"Bass." It was the first time he had ever said her name, it felt alien to her ears.

She stopped, pulling her hand away and held it to her chest.

"Are you ready?" He seemed so confident, so care free, was this truly his ultimate goal in life?

Bass nodded as Gray pulled from his backpack a small hardcover black notebook, she stepped closer to him, eager to read the words within. A ribbon held the page he wanted and without a word spoken, he removed the necklace from around his own neck and placed it over both their heads bringing them uncomfortably close.

"What are-"

"Shut up." He flipped another page. "I copied it exactly... but..."

"It's music."

"I told you to shut up, let me figure this out!" Gray flipped back and forth again, scanning the page with his finger. "Quin wont need to wear the crystals cause she's a Pokémon... but-"

"It's music, look right there!" Bass pointed excitedly to the nodes written above the words. "You have to sing it, here, give me."

With much more confidence than she had ever felt in her entire life, Bass pulled the book from his grasp and began to slowly sing:

Your voice will speak,

My heart will listen,

What brings life,

Must also bring death.

Bass's voice faltered before she began the next section.

"Why did you stop? That was beautiful." Gray's voice was quiet.

Bass looked first to the ground where Quin was stationed solemnly by her feet, her head on her paws. Abruptly, she turned her head toward the shrine and then up to the sky.

"N-nothing happened." She said, confusion evident in her tone.

"You didn't finish."

"I-" She took a quick glance behind her and then brought her attention back to the journal. "The next part isn't sung... it's a prayer."

"Then let us pray."

A smirk formed on Gray's face as he pulled Bass down with him into a kneeling position in front of the statue of the monk, the necklace around both their necks keeping them together. Bass winced after her knees made contact with the hard ground.

"We'll say it together." He clasped her hand and raised it above them.

Together they recited:

White and Black awaken.

And you will see,

The Heavens will open,

And the beasts will rise high.

They both gasped as the crystals around their necks froze even colder, thunder crackled and boomed loudly above them and seemingly out of no where a blizzard pelted them with shards of ice and snow. Instinctively, Bass threw her arms around Gray and shut her eyes, she could feel Quin scamper up their legs, and try to burrow herself in the protection that their arms could offer her.

"What the?" Bass heard Gray shout over the hail, but she still refused to look.

A monstrous roar echoed around them, and Bass could hear the sounds of what could only be a pair of gigantic wings beating over head.

"Bass." Gray's voice was right next to her ear. "Bass you need to open your eyes... this... it isn't the end."

"What?" She questioned as her eyes flew open in shock.

A huge Pokémon towered above the shrine, and without warning it's cries were answered by another. The one in front of them was black with blue surges of energy pulsing through it's tail, the other coming toward them, a pure almost angelic white, it's shape more feminine, it's tail coloring a fiery orange.

"I don't know what Pokémon those are." Gray said, he seemed worried. "This wasn't in any of the scriptures... I don't know what's going on."

The white Pokémon finally reached the black one and they clashed in a burst of ice and snow. The force of it threw the two humans and Linoone back several yards away from the epic battle that began to unfold. One beast screeched in pain, while the other roared in triumph, Bass didn't care which had done what. She wanted to leave, now.

"We have to get out of here!" She nearly screamed over the chaos in the skies. She grasped Quin and held the Linoone tight in her arm, as she tried to help Gray with the other. "Come on Gray, we have to go!"

"I- I can't."

Something was wrong.

"Gray?"

"My leg."

She knew it was broken.

Another mighty roar was heard, as thunder exploded in the sky. Bass didn't want to see what types of attacks these unknown Pokémon were capable of. With a strength she didn't even know she possessed, she managed to pull Gray up into a standing position and made him brace himself against her for support. He screamed in agony, but she trudged on through the ice and snow, trying to go back the way they came, at least Black City had a hospital. With their backs exposed to the war, they made their way as fast as they could toward the concrete jungle to the West.

**To Be Continued...**


End file.
